Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Honorees - The Gordon Parks Foundation

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a journalist, novelist, and screenwriter, as well as a former professional basketball player. Since retiring from the NBA in 1989, he has been a political activist and education advocate. His non-fiction books include biography, social commentary, and history books promoting African-American history and achievements. He has written 15 books and is a New York Times best-selling author. His latest books include Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court, and Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court. He also has a fictional series Mycroft Holmes, with its 3rd book in the series Mycroft & Sherlock - The Empty Birdcage releases September 24, 2019. 

Abdul-Jabbar is an award-winning documentary producer and was featured in HBO’s most watched documentary of all time, Kareem: Minority of One. He has twice won Columnist of the Year Award from the National Arts and Journalism Awards for his writing in The Hollywood Reporter.  

Before leaving office, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest honor for civilians. 

Videos